Old Graphics That Still Look Great

[rkolsen 1685]

Really solid and lasted nowhere near as long as it should have. The bronze Scripps mess that replaced it was a HUGE downgrade.

 

I never saw it in action but based on the demo I’d imagine they’d look great. I believe they also updated to VizRT for the graphics and then have to buy completely new system for the bronze package. To be honest and as much as I hate to admit it if I had to pick between the Scripps standardized graphics package I would choose the Bronze one. The current package may have nice opens and transitions but I just can’t get past the lower thirds. I think it could have been designed much better. The current package looks even worse when they have the ticker which ends up wider than the upper level.

[Conrad 113]

Really solid and lasted nowhere near as long as it should have. The bronze Scripps mess that replaced it was a HUGE downgrade.

Meredith liked this package so much that KPHO used it from 2014 until earlier this year.

[Samantha 2896]

Meredith liked this package so much that KPHO used it from 2014 until earlier this year.

 

It looked real good but the original lower thirds were too bulky and 4:3 safe. They ended up adopting newer, slimmer L3s.

[NewsStar2 90]

[quote name='Raymie']So I found some info on the CapCities Chrome look that should interest @HulkieD . The company's name was actually [URL='https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewwwelch']Andrew Welch[/URL] and Associates. In 1985, this Hollywood-based shop was acquired by Capital Cities. As a result, they ceased to do work for non-ABC stations — the final Welch design for another network affiliate was what WCCO rolled out in the Best News of All era, which debuted September 23, 1985. (It's also the most polished and chrome-y of all of the pre-ABC Welch designs.) He remained with CapCities until 1988, creating a video design group for the stations and saving some $2.1 million in the process. [/QUOTE] This actually answered a number of questions that I had always had about who had created those graphics. They rank at about the top for me, just due to the nostalgia factor and seeing them on KTRK a fair amount when I was young. The starfield I think would be my favorite element of the whole package. I think the integration they had with the virtual set(s) at the various stations at the time was impressive for the period, especially situations where there was a hybrid hard/virtual set in place in the mid-late 80s & early 90s.

[ToriElectra 292]

Has nobody mentioned WCBS in 2000? It was so... dreamy. The clouds, the deep blue, gold and pink, the glass eyes, shots of New York, and one of Edd Kalehoff's finest packages, Grandeur, made for a very classy look. Sadly, it arrived just as Joel Cheatwood was trying to tabloidify the station and with the Information Network, Nightcast and ratings issues, the look was slowly diluted until it was replaced by the blue look and News in Focus, dying an unfair death.

 

CBS should really think about bringing this back as the O&O look-- it could even make WJZ look respectable, given their seemingly-slowly dying nightmare of a graphical mess.

 

Here's an 11PM newscast from August of 2000, though sadly the intro's chopped up and it's ruined by tacky graphics relating to the finale of Survivor's first season (CBS actually passed up

in favor of that-- they chose poorly, to put it lightly):

[hmaxhanson 650]

I just love this short-lived WXYZ open from 2000, it's so magnificent, it could probably pass as a network newscast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=lSMlAQjDoXk;t=29

[sfomspphl 491]

This actually answered a number of questions that I had always had about who had created those graphics. They rank at about the top for me, just due to the nostalgia factor and seeing them on KTRK a fair amount when I was young. The starfield I think would be my favorite element of the whole package. I think the integration they had with the virtual set(s) at the various stations at the time was impressive for the period, especially situations where there was a hybrid hard/virtual set in place in the mid-late 80s & early 90s.

 

Same here. Great that Raymie filled in the history on this.

 

I didn't even grow up with these and they still look great. Someone really knew how to handle perspective on the virtual sets and the larger than life elements of the graphics. My favorite part is how the skylines are gently blurred so the talent pops, and the close up shots zoom in to just the right point of the backdrop.

 

Apparently that was Welch who orchestrated it all, though wonder who the Newsmat brains were.

 

Even greater testament - that several stations kept those virtual sets for over 5 years, which was an eternity for sets back then.

[Sendir 194]

KTVT 2004 - 2007 when Uphonix from Stephen Arnold was created just for them.

[AJClementeFan69 477]

I just love this short-lived WXYZ open from 2000, it's so magnificent, it could probably pass as a network newscast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=lSMlAQjDoXk;t=29

 

On an off-topic note...it's hard to believe Ignitor wasn't commissioned for WXYZ based on how well the signature matches with "7 Stands For News"...

[Samantha 2896]

Another long-lived example of Welch was KSAT which had a Welch look from either late 1984 or very early 1985 into the 90s, and elements stuck up through the 1994 station redesign.

 

The clips here are among the earliest with the Welch "Newsmat" set:

 

 

The first set of opens was especially Welch-y with a strong KTRK influence:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=AGpzmM3otbQ;t=19

 

The second set was equally chrome-y but had more 3D animation, keeping the set:

 

 

The virtual set was used into the 90s (replaced either in 1992 or 1993):

 

 

That fantastic theme music, though, was kept until 1994:

 

[CaptainNews 287]

Ok, ok. I get we’re all waiting for the new WJZ graphics but, I still think they’re graphics look great, they just don’t belong at a big major station.

[Conrad 113]

Ok, ok. I get we’re all waiting for the new WJZ graphics but, I still think they’re graphics look great, they just don’t belong at a big major station.

Seems like CBS delayed when they are going to launch the new graphics. It was originally scheduled for a December 31, 2017 launch. The new graphics will probably be the current CBS O&O graphics.

[dabnis74 52]

Whio Tv in Dayton had some awesome graphics for 1995, they were ahead of their time.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG2CscDoGLI

[ColDayNews 438]

Whio Tv in Dayton had some awesome graphics for 1995, they were ahead of their time.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG2CscDoGLI

 

They actually refreshed this package 2 years later and it lasted until 2002:

 

 

Here's the 2002-04 open with the pre-2002 logo:

 

[rkolsen 1685]

Ok, ok. I get we’re all waiting for the new WJZ graphics but, I still think they’re graphics look great, they just don’t belong at a big major station.

 

I forgot about this old helicopter animation.

 

[TheRolyPoly 2523]

I forgot about this old helicopter animation.

 

 

God... that CBS eye stroke in 2004. At least it was improved somewhat over the years but still...

[IndyNewsOpens 83]

Anything TVbD designed for WTHR (and other stations).

 

 

[NewsStar2 90]

KTRK must have been the client that impressed Cap Cities/ABC so much they hired him. The first clip also serves as a good example of the first generation of Welch looks before they were slathered in chrome:

 

 

Not to go too far back, but I can't believe I hadn't taken the time to actually watch the second clip before tonight. This is actually a bit of an interim look which was used by KTRK for a fairly brief period overall (maybe late summer '85 to April or May 1986). It replaced a look that itself was only used for about a year prior, if I'm not mistaken.

 

What's interesting is at some point during this transitional phase, a decision was made to trim the 'tail' of the 3 in the logo. When the final version of that look made it to air 1986, it was mostly without the tail, but some elements retained it with the intro and bumpers for the Million Dollar Movie being one of the chief examples.

 

 

Even after the debut, there was some discontinuity (IMHO) with the look. Certain shows like Live at Five had an apperance that was closer to the interim one and were not updated until a later date. There are few examples of that around anywhere online, but I know I have seen a clip of the 86-92 virtual set carrying the logo seen in the 1987 promo below. Would love to see how the open & other elements looked for that show during that fairly brief time as well.

 

[MEDIA=dailymotion]xaxdol[/MEDIA]

[ChesapeakeTV 311]

Anything TVbD designed for WTHR (and other stations).

 

 

Not to rain on the parade, but just want to point out that the look with Rainmaker isn't a TVbD look...

 

But since I'm here, here's one that is - and which definitely ranks for here:

 

[Darius22 122]

KCRA when Hearst did their camera package.

 

 

and KTTV when they were using the X Package.

[Bsean 152]

That's the Linda Kane package

 

Here's KTLA's Linda Kane package:

[qunewsguy 377]

Not to rain on the parade, but just want to point out that the look with Rainmaker isn't a TVbD look...

 

 

I'm fairly certain it was. That totally fit their style at the time and is consistent with the fonts tvbd was using. I seem to remember seeing a sample from WTHR on their site then too.

[Bsean 152]

Growing up, I always thought KGTV had some good packages from the McGraw Hill Days:

 

1994:

 

1998:

I really wish I could find the original opens/music for this one... Though I did also like the in-house open with the production music shown in this video.

 

2004:

[Bsean 152]

XETV was ahead of its time with the promos and graphics when they launched FOX 6 NEWS back in 1999.

 

Here's a promo sampler but you can see some lower thirds and OTS around the 2:08 mark.

 

 

Here's more of the original XETV Fox 6 package

[ChesapeakeTV 311]

I'm fairly certain it was. That totally fit their style at the time and is consistent with the fonts tvbd was using. I seem to remember seeing a sample from WTHR on their site then too.

 

They did do numerous packages for them - no less than 5 if my memory serves. Maybe you saw a sample of one of those? Honestly the Rainmaker look just isn't ticking enough boxes for me in animation and overall layout, when I compare it to my catalog of TVbD demo reels and their other output from the era.